Cosmos

Cosmos is one of the best-selling science books of all time. In clear-eyed prose, Sagan reveals a jewel-like blue world inhabited by a life form that is just beginning to discover its own identity and to venture into the vast ocean of space.

Superheroes!: Capes, Cowls, and the Creation of Comic Book Culture

Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, the Avengers, the X-Men, Watchmen, and more: the companion volume to the PBS documentary series of the same name that tells the story of the superhero in American popular culture.

At the Edge of Uncertainty: 11 Discoveries Taking Science by Surprise

The atom. The big bang. DNA. Natural selection. All ideas that have revolutionised science - and that were dismissed out of hand when they first appeared. The surprises haven't stopped: here, Michael Brooks, best-selling author of 13 Things That Don't Make Sense, investigates the new wave of unexpected insights that are shaping the future of scientific discovery. Through 11 radical new insights, Brooks takes us to the extreme frontiers of what we understand about the world.

Batman Unauthorized: Vigilantes, Jokers, and Heroes in Gotham City

Compiled by a veteran writer of the comic series, this collection of essays explores Batman's motivations and actions, as well as those of his foes. Batman is a creature of the night, more about vengeance than justice, more plagued by doubts than full of self-assurance, and more darkness than light. He has no superpowers, just skill, drive, and a really well-made suit.

Human Universe

Human life is a staggeringly strange thing. On the surface of a ball of rock falling around a nuclear fireball in the blackness of a vacuum, the laws of nature conspired to create a naked ape that can look up at the stars and wonder where it came from. What is a human being? Objectively, nothing of consequence. Particles of dust in an infinite arena, present for an instant in eternity.

Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight

Batman is one of the most compelling and enduring characters to come from the Golden Age of Comics, and interest in his story has only increased through countless incarnations since his first appearance in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. Why does this superhero without superpowers fascinate us? What does that fascination say about us? Batman and Psychology explores these and other intriguing questions about the masked vigilante, including: Does Batman have PTSD? Why does he fight crime? Why as a vigilante? Why the mask, the bat, and the underage partner?

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story

Throughout this decades-long journey to becoming a multibillion-dollar enterprise, Marvel's identity has continually shifted, careening between scrappy underdog and corporate behemoth. As the company has weathered Wall Street machinations, Hollywood failures, and the collapse of the comic book market, its characters have been passed along among generations of editors, artists, and writers - also known as the celebrated Marvel "Bullpen".

Future Crimes: A Journey to the Dark Side of Technology - and How to Survive It

The New York Times best seller. Technological advances have benefited our world in immeasurable ways, but there is an ominous flipside. Criminals are often the earliest and most innovative adopters of technology, and modern times have led to modern crimes. Today's criminals are stealing identities, draining online bank accounts, and wiping out computer servers.

Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul

Combing through 70 years of comic books, television shows, and movies, Batman and Philosophy explores how the Dark Knight grapples with ethical conundrums, moral responsibility, his identity crisis, the moral weight he carries to avenge his murdered parents, and much more. How does this caped crusader measure up against the teachings of Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Kierkegaard, and Lao Tzu?

Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation

A mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller that chronicles how Sega, a small, scrappy gaming company led by an unlikely visionary and a team of rebels, took on the juggernaut Nintendo and revolutionized the videogame industry. In 1990, Nintendo had a virtual monopoly on the videogame industry. Sega, on the other hand, was just a faltering arcade company with big aspirations and even bigger personalities. But all that would change with the arrival of Tom Kalinske.

How Star Wars Conquered the Universe: The Past, Present, and Future of a Multibillion Dollar Franchise

In How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, veteran journalist Chris Taylor traces the series from the difficult birth of the original film through its sequels, the franchise's death and rebirth, the prequels, and the preparations for a new trilogy. Taylor provides portraits of the friends, writers, artists, producers, and marketers who labored behind the scenes to turn Lucas's idea into a legend.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Philosophy: Everything Is Fire

Stieg Larsson's bestselling Millennium Trilogy - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - is an international phenomenon. These books express Larsson's lifelong war against injustice, his ethical beliefs, and his deep concern for women's rights. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Philosophy probes the compelling philosophical issues behind the entire trilogy.

Publisher's Summary

If the planet Krypton had a gravitational field strong enough to account for Superman's amazing strength, would it be possible to launch a rocket ship from the planet's surface? Assuming that the Flash could actually travel at the speed of light, would any villain ever stand a chance against him? Could evolution actually produce X-Men?

The Science of Superheroes takes a lighthearted but clearheaded look at the real science behind some of the greatest superhero comic books of all time, including Spider-Man, Batman, the Fantastic Four, and many more. Each chapter presents the origin of one or more superheroes and asks intriguing questions that lead to fascinating discussions about the limits of science, the laws of nature, and the future of technology.

If gamma rays can't turn a 128-pound weakling into the Incredible Hulk, what could? Are Spider-Man's powers really those of a spider? Could a person ever breathe water like a fish? From telepathy to teleportation, from cloning to cosmic rays, this vastly entertaining romp through the nexus of science and fantasy separates the possible from the plausible and the barely plausible from the utterly ridiculous.

You'll discover the connection between black holes and green lanterns; what Galileo could have told Professor Pym about the stresses caused by shrinking and growing; and how many of Batman's "inventions" anticipated actual technological developments. You'll learn how comic book writers use "technobabble" to create seemingly credible explanations of improbable superpowers and bizarre events.

The Science of Superheroes celebrates the ingenuity and imagination of the writers and artists behind the greatest superheroes, and offers helpful suggestions on how some characters' origin stories could be made more believable. It offers immensely enjoyable and informative listening for anyone who loves science, superheroes, or both.

The Science of Superheroes is also available in print from Wiley.

Lois Gresh has written dozens of suspense and science fiction stories, and has been nominated for national fiction awards six times. She is coauthor, along with Robert Weinberg, of The Computers of Star Trek.Robert Weinberg's fiction has been nominated for Hugo, World Fantasy, and Balrog Awards. He is a two-time winner of the World Fantasy Award as well as the recipient of a Bram Stoker Award. Weinberg also writes the comic book series Cable for Marvel Comics. He previously served for 24 years as chairman of the Chicago Comicon, the second-largest comic convention in the United States.

Oliver Wyman is a founding member and associate director of New York City's Collective: Unconscious Theater. As an actor, he has appeared in many plays and several independent films. As a voice-over artist, he has recorded everything from cartoons to language programs. Oliver can also be heard reading The Best Business Stories of the Year, 2002 and The Joy of Pi, both available from Random House Audible.

What the Critics Say

"Weinberg and Gresh tell it like it is - and how it would be, if our favorite comic book characters actually existed. The Science of Superheroes is a fascinating and entertaining examination of everything from astrophysics to genetic biology to the evolution of the 'superhero.'" (Mark Powers, editor, X-Men and Uncanny X-Men)

The information being imparted here may well be accurate, but the quality of writing and the style is absolutely dire ! There is mild swearing throughout, and the reader sounds so naive and "dumb", that I keep expecting him to use words like "wow", "cool", and "awesome" at any moment. It is the most dreadful book I have ever come across.

Some interesting discussions, but inconsistent and drawn out in parts. For example the chapter on aquaman spends far too long unpacking a modern evolutionary theory that man evolved in aquatic environments. And is it really necessary to debate fish communication in such depth. Other queries don't get sufficient coverage e.g. Batman's grapple line: could he carry enough line on his person, could the grapple penetrate walls? Ultimately a bit hit and miss and rather dry. Some interesting comic history though.

This book simply has too much irrelevant information. It also can't seem to stay on topic. For example, in the chapter about The Flash, it talks about the anatomy of a cheetah. At first you think that's it's trying to make a point, but then it goes on never to mention the cheetah again. Also, the analysis of the powers wore sorely lacking. A good example of this was Superman. The only thing about Superman that it talks about is his super-strength. Although the analysis of his strength was good, it could've at least went into more depth about flying.

There are other examples of going off topic, such as the chapter on Green Lantern and X-Men. It briefly mentioned the validity of telepathy, but then went on to talk about evolution vs creation. In some cases, for 20 minutes it starts to make an argument which would prove some powers possible, then spends another 10 minutes proving it wrong (such as the case with Superman). There are also situations in which it openly refuses to talk about certain powers (Ex. Spiderman, Superman, X-Men).

Overall, I would not recommend this book, especially if you getting it for a certain hero, like I did. Although the actual science it provides is good in it's own respect, when talking about superheroes it's irrelevant.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

LM

25/02/03

Overall

"Fun read"

This is an interesting book and answers a number of questions that just aren't relevant when you're deep into comic book reading. It's a good step back from the fantasy world and provides intriguing explanations on how each superhero is able to do the things they do. I wish there were more analysis on other superheroes. Superman, Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Batman were either inadequate or just plain boring. Spiderman, Atom, and Submariner explanations were ok. Maybe the author will write a second version with analysis on characters from the Avenger, Xmen, Ironman, and DareDevil.

This first book is too long on the history of comic books and short on analysis of the superpowers. Hopefully version 2 (if it comes out) will jump directly into the analysis of each superhero's powers and analyze more Marvel characters.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Rob

Warnbro, Australia

08/08/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"History, science, or philospohy"

The book makes some good attempts at exploring both side of the argument, but other times the scientific argument is extremely biased and irrelevant. For example: it discusses the physiology of the cheetah, efficient lungs etc..., yet fails to explore how these constraints (of the Flash) would impact his performance. It also describes the energy required for a typical human to do a certain feat, but i would not refer to the Flash as a typical human. With all thee figures being spouted, surely the argument for 100% efficiency of food consumption be explored.

By the time I reached the creationist versus science argument I was on auto-pilot, waiting patiently to finish the book.

I doubt the writers have had any thesis or science experience: commonly misusing the terms theory, truth or fact.

I was expecting a fun lighthearted exploration of comic super-heroes; I received a few interesting tid-bits hidden behind an overwhelming amount of pointless exposition.

I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.(oh gawd, there is another book too... )

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Gregory

Harrisburg, PA, USA

17/03/06

Overall

"Super Discussion"

The Science of Superhereos proved to be outstanding in two respects. First, it is a great history of comics for anyone who grew up reading comics.

But more than that, it excels ar discussing the science behond the fiction. Topics from many arreas of science are covered, including physics, astronomy, biology, evolution, and chemistry. The explanations are clear and easy to follow, even for someone with no background in science at all. It was also very entertaining. I particularly enjoyed the discussion of black holes and stellar evolution.

This book is highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Mark

Duluth, GA, USA

09/12/04

Overall

"Beautifully done!"

A grand mix of comic history, trivia, and science. Using the superheroes by nature or origin, they jump on subjects like black holes, relativity, genetics, evolution, probability of alien life, and more. As a follower of comics for decades, I was surprised at the detailed stories that were referenced and compared, some only a few years old. Whether a lover of DC or Marvel, you'll find something to interest you here. Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Xmen -they're all here to some level or not.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Casey Cardinal

LOMBARD, IL, US

21/02/17

Overall

"Not worth a purchase"

This is disappointing, it is obvious to the human mind that super hero's can't exist. This book doesn't answer any questions like what would happen if they existed. Not only that, it is clear that it is written by a man who doesn't read comics.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Amazon Customer

04/08/16

Overall

Performance

"Underwhelmed"

Maybe I'm just not enough of a comic fan, but I was generally unimpressed. It was fine I suppose. I would happily read it if it were lying on the coffee table of my dentist's waiting room. The science was fairly basic. Well read, but the content was "meh."😐

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Brightblade

01/12/12

Overall

Performance

Story

"The One, Two Punch of Heroes!"

Would you listen to The Science of Superheroes again? Why?

I think I will!

Any additional comments?

This is just a fun book. I even enjoyed the Donald Duck part. I have been looking for Heroes in modern books and sadly have found few. This book allowed me to spend some quality time with some true heroes. Thanks Audible!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Harry

Moscow, Russia

23/04/11

Overall

"Great Book Except a Little Inaccurate"

I love the concept of this book. As a hardcore superhero fan I was delighted to find out that someone had gone through the trouble of answering the questions I had always wanted to know. The narrator was top notch and kept things interesting.
The only real problem I have with this book is the last chapter. Listening to the book, things kept building and getting better, I was actually on the edge of my seat trying to guess what the final question would be. Seriously on the edge of my seat over an educational science book - WEIRD!
The thing is that the last chapter was about Donald Duck comics. And while Donald Duck had a great comic I am sure, he is in no way, shape, or form a superhero or anything that resembles a superhero.
How could the authors get it so wrong. It should have been called the Science of Comics not of superheroes.
This small complaint last them a star but it is still a great book.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Sheryl Mason

Auckland, - New Zealand

01/03/08

Overall

"This is fun"

This book, I admit, took me a few listens before I realised how good it was. To begin with, I found it boring, then I really listened to it. It's full of information that's both informative and funny (although some of it may be out of date by now). The narration is good and the prologue is particularly funny, having been written by Dean Koontz. It gets a bit boring again towards the end when the authors questions cartoonists about the future of comic books. All in all though, it's a good listen, showing where the story of a comic book very often neglects the science in preference to the storyline. For fans of both comics and science, it's illuminating.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

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